Google is pushing the boundaries of its AI centric projects with its LLM model Gemini and AI-powered chatbot Bard. These advancements come amid fierce competition from rivals like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Meta. The company is aiming to power all its products with AI and is particularly focused on enhancing the capabilities of its Bard chatbot. To that end, the company is reportedly planning to bring Assistant with Bard to Pixel devices soon.
Google confirmed last year that Bard would power voice assistance features in the future, but they did not reveal a specific timeline or details. However, tipsters on the Google News Telegram have recently leaked a video of how this integration might work on Pixel phones. The video shows that users can use the voice assistance in Bard by long-pressing the power button, launching the app directly, or using the familiar “Hey Google” hotword to engage the AI-powered voice assistant.
Users can further interact with the voice assistance in Bard by voice, text, or images. Additionally, they can also ask questions based on their screenshots. The leaked post further reveals that, Assistant with Bard will launch in March 2024 as part of the Pixel Feature Drop. However, the feature may only work on Pixel phones with Tensor chips, excluding the Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, and the rumoured Pixel Fold 2. Additionally, Google may have also restricted the feature from Android devices with IDs starting with UP1, UD1, and UQ1, suggesting that it requires the QRP2 beta or stable version.
However, official details about Assistant with Bard’s rollout remain under wraps, and Google will likely clarify feature availability in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Google is also rumoured to give its chatbot Bard the power of image generation. Just like its rivals like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot, Google is said to be prepping Bard to compete with them in the field of AI image generation.
A leaked changelog (dated January 18) posted by Dylan Roussel on social media platform X (as reported by 9to5Google) shows that users will soon be able to “Create images with Bard” by typing a few words.
The image generation feature in Bard is likely to use Google’s Imagen family of models, which can produce “high-quality, photorealistic, high-resolution, aesthetically pleasing images” for business purposes. For example, users can create logos or images with text overlays. Google already has a similar feature in its Search, which lets users enrolled in the SGE program generate “Draw” or “sketch” images from search queries.
However, this feature has some limitations, such as daily quotas, content restrictions, and watermarking. Google Bard’s image generator is expected to have the same safety measures. This feature will complement other image generation services that Google offers in Slides and Meet (for custom backgrounds) as part of Duet AI.
Deepak Sen is a tech enthusiast who covers the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets. His articles provide readers with a glimpse into the ever-evolving world of technology.
